Metered Access

Crain's Detroit Business is a metered site. Print and digital subscribers have unlimited access to stories, but registered users are limited to eight stories every 30 days. After viewing three metered stories, you'll be asked to register or log in. After eight more stories in 30 days, you'll be asked to subscribe.

DMC, Medical Weight Loss Clinic sign referral agreement

Detroit Medical Center and Medical Weight Loss Clinic have signed an agreement to refer patients to each other based on medical or weight loss needs.

Under the agreement, patients who purchase services at Medical Weight Loss Clinic will be able to seek consultation with DMC bariatric surgeons for a variety of advanced procedures. Moreover, DMC now has access to Medical Weight Loss' programs and DMC employees will receive a discount from the clinic.

"This is a landmark partnership, but makes so much sense because our services complement each other so well," said Michael Wood, director of the bariatric surgery program at DMC Harper University Hospital, in a statement.

"Not every patient who comes in for weight loss help needs surgery, but when they do, the DMC bariatric surgeons will serve as the partner for those procedures. Creating seamless access to both of our services will prove cost-effective and efficient for the patient."

DMC surgeons perform bariatric surgery and other procedures on patients who are at least 100 pounds overweight, suffer from related health conditions and have unsuccessfully tried other weight-loss methods, officials said.

David Paull, president of Medical Weight Loss, said the clinic's 30 centers in Michigan and northern Ohio offer patients customized programs based on individual needs. The weight loss program uses common food purchased from grocery stores or farmers markets.

"This is the first health care system partnership in Medical Weight Loss Clinic's nearly 30-year history," Paull said in a statement.